A St. Augustine sailor, Captain Allan Askar, has found himself in the precarious situation of having to sell his beached 1977 sailboat for a mere dollar. The vessel became stranded at New Smyrna Beach last Sunday, December 22, 2024, after Askar anchored it to rest following 16 exhausting hours battling strong winds and rough waves off the coast of Florida. Faced with the daunting removal costs estimated between $20,000 and $25,000, Askar chose to list the sailboat on Craigslist for the nominal sum.
As reported by WESH 2, Askar described the ordeal, saying, "The wind was pushing me downwind and the waves were building up and also going down, meaning I need to surf waves.” Sleep was imperative after such a taxing effort, but it was during this reprieve that the sailboat met its sandy fate. Despite its predicament, the sailor remains optimistic about the boat's durability, telling WESH 2, "Very good, reliable boat, very solid construction. It will last another 50 years even with abuse it's currently taken."
The beached boat has turned into a local attraction, according to comments made to WESH 2 by beach visitors. One such local mused, "It’s been an attraction for everybody around. I mean, we took the kids there the other day.” Another resident humorously contemplated the purchase, saying, "I have to talk to my wife to see if we're in the market for a sailboat, but a dollar is a pretty good price," in an interview shared by First Coast News.
In light of the predicament, Askar hopes to quickly find a serious buyer as he faces a 30-day deadline to remove the vessel from the beach or confront potential fines and possible jail time. He even offered to help with the removal costs if the right purchaser comes forward. "I got beached and will pass her in good hands…Very good and strong sailing boat," Askar wrote on the Craigslist listing. His advertisement labels it as "salvage," indicating its current condition. This direct appeal to the community to take the vessel off his hands duly reflects a man cornered by circumstance and driven to earnestly seek help, as detailed by First Coast News.
While the deadline looms, the possibility of this sailboat sailing again rests in the hands of a new owner willing to undertake the challenge of its retrieval and repair. Captain Askar's Craigslist venture thus stands as a testament to maritime mishaps turning into unexpected opportunities for someone with a dollar to spare and the vision to see beyond the present obstacle, according to comments made in a statement obtained by Action News Jax.
